We asked for your VSU love stories and y’all did not disappoint! ❤️
Amanda Pursser & Michael Cain
My name is Amanda Pursser and I met Michael Cain my freshman year of college in 2018, we have been together ever since. This past year on August 8, 2021, I had the privilege to become his fiancé and say yes to forever with my best friend where it all started. We will be getting married on November 19, 2022. I will forever be grateful to VSU for giving me my other half!
Alyssa & Solomon Foskey
I met my guy while attending VSU. Me, College of the Arts. Him, College of Business Administration. We met at church but we both attended VSU full time and had friends all over campus. He commuted from Douglas, Georgia for a year then moved to Valdosta to complete his last two years of college before graduating with two bachelor’s degrees.
We would attend Blazer games together, participate in front lawn events, then eventually graduated in 2007 and 2008. Fast forward a year after graduation, he took me on a picnic in the park, then we walked over to main campus where he proposed to me. VSU will always hold a special place in our hearts. Thirteen years later we are married with two energetic boys.
Kwanesia & Kannard Bass
Kannard and I met in 2012 in Palms Dining Hall. We didn’t start dating until 2015 though. So much of our relationship history is built on VSU’s doors from dining hall dates to his proposal on the front lawn with rainbow lights. We’ve been married four years and have an amazing almost-two-year-old.
Katie & Kyle Ward
My husband and I met at VSU we both cheered on the competitive coed cheerleading team. We won VSU’s first-ever national championship title in 2009 together in April, graduated together in May, and got married in June.
Both graduated with education degrees where we went on to teaching coaching cheerleading and now we have opened up our very own tumbling business SolidRockAthletics.
We have four beautiful children and are living our best sweet life in a small town in Forsyth, Georgia.
Kristen & John Patten
My wife and I met Fall Semester 2011 while taking TV Studio Production I in the Mass Media program. I got her attention with my dead-on Samara (the girl/ghost from The Ring) impression. We began dating at the end of the semester and spent our remaining time at VSU working together on short films, news packages, children’s TV shows, and co-hosting a weekly radio program. Five years later we were married and now, ten years after we first met in class, we have a beautiful baby girl who will turn one this March.
Adrianna & Gordon Warnell
In my junior year spring semester, I took the class Communication Persuasion. I didn’t know many people in the class, but there was this guy I noticed. He was cute and funny, and I got a little crush. One day we were assigned a group project and needed to pick partners. To my surprise, the cute/funny boy picked me. The first time the group met was in the library to film a video project. The cute/funny boy brought everyone chick-fil-a biscuits.
We continued to exchange banter as the semester went on. He even helped me prepare for a “faculty roast”. However, we never expressed feelings because we both were in relationships.
When the semester ended, I realized if I had these feelings towards someone, I shouldn’t be in a relationship. So, I broke it off with my boyfriend.
A week or so went by, and the cute/funny boy seemed flirty and asked if I wanted to go to Bleu Pub. Taken aback, I asked, “Don’t you have a girlfriend?” which was followed by no response. Crickets.
With a pit in my stomach, I went to work. About halfway into my shift, I checked my phone. I had a text – “No we broke up. Don’t you have a boyfriend?” To which I replied, “No we broke up.” We went to Bleu Pub and laughed the entire time. A spark had been ignited. He also admitted that the Chick-fil-A he brought for the group was for me. He had to buy it for everyone so it wasn’t obvious.
Fast forward ten years. We are about to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary and enjoy our days with a toddler. I still sometimes sit back and am amazed the cute/funny guy is mine. Love you, Gordon.
Daphney & Se’Deyrius Hicks
Freshman year can be challenging for students, but one thing that can make the first year of college bearable is finding that special someone. I met my special someone at the very end of the second semester of my freshman year. He sat two rows up from me in history, and we connected through Snapchat. We spent the whole summer getting to know each other, and the rest is history. The next three years of school were a rollercoaster, between long-distance at times, internships, hardships, and the new challenges of co-existing with another human. After graduation, we moved to Florida for a couple of years. We got engaged, pregnant, and married in the years to come. Now we have a beautiful family and we are happier than ever. We are so grateful that we met, and that wouldn’t have been possible without VSU.
Holly & Ryan Davis
Ryan and I started our incredible love journey seven years ago as freshmen living on campus at Valdosta State University. Ryan and I both moved into the Georgia Hall co-ed dorms in August of 2014 as excited freshmen not sure what was in store for us in our college careers. We both gained a lot of friends within our dorms, and we met through mutual friends. Our first semester of college we would play manhunt in the late evenings on VSU’s campus, play ping-pong in the lobby of Georgia Hall, play tennis at night on the courts, and attend campus events.
Our friendship turned into a love story unexpectedly during our first finals week in December of 2014. I went to the Georgia Hall study room to study for finals. I desperately wanted to study, but my friends in the dorm had other plans. It was a social hour, haha! Ryan was being his silly and fun self and began throwing gummies across the room with his friends and catching them in his mouth. Although I found it rather annoying while I was studying, I secretly thought it was playful and fun. Afterward, Ryan began doing handstands. I had had enough, and I asked him to stop. He then challenged me to a handstand competition. Who was I to say no? I was overly confident as a former cheerleader. My overconfidence quickly left when Ryan BEAT ME. I thought, “NO WAY! REMATCH.” I lost again. To this day, Ryan still beats me in handstand competitions.
Now I was annoyed AND slightly embarrassed. However, I was very intrigued by Ryan’s fun and playful spirit. Over Christmas break, I asked one of our good friends, Justin Bradley, for Ryan’s number. Texts turned to calls, calls turned to dates, and dates turned into a fun relationship. Ryan and I took full advantage of our time at VSU as a couple. Ryan started a running club called RUN VSU, and I was very involved with my sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha. We supported each other every step of the way, through academics, leadership positions, and life in general. We loved going to football games, campus events, and spending time with our friends we met through VSU.
Our senior year before graduation, Ryan decided to pop “the question.” We decided that we wanted to continue our love story beyond VSU’s campus. We got married in June of 2019, and Ryan continued his education as a graduate student while I taught at a local elementary school. Ryan had the opportunity to teach as a lecturer in his department of study after graduating with his master’s. I feel so lucky and thankful to have met Ryan my freshman year at VSU. We are so excited to see where else life takes us, but we will never forget where our journey began at VSU.
Samantha Blanford & Cody Roberts
Cody and I met when I was ending my freshman year here at VSU. We began talking while out with friends and started dating in June of 2019. Each of us has come a long way with our academic, athletic, and personal goals for ourselves. We are both now graduating in the Fall of 2022, myself with a bachelor’s degree in business management and him with a bachelor’s degree in health science administration. Since we started dating, Cody and I have traveled the country, experienced football tailgates, and even got a dog together!
While Cody works two jobs and I serve at a local restaurant in town, we still find time for our schoolwork and dog, Cas. I just finished my senior season of soccer at VSU, and Cody has made it a priority to come to every game possible and support my teammates and me through every up and down these past three years. Valdosta State University will always hold a special place in our hearts because not only did it lead us to academic and athletic success, but it also led us to meet each other.
Lizzie Milkas & Sean Wilkinson
Lizzie and I met at VSU in 2012 thanks to Campus Recreation. She was a lifeguard at the pool and I was a trip leader for CORE Outdoors. She started coming on a bunch of the trips I was leading and got my attention. We both became challenge course facilitators together and kept dating after graduating in 2014. She went to grad school at UAB and was a graduate assistant for their aquatics department. I became a crew leader for the Student Conservation Association and then an Outdoor Rec Coordinator for Vanderbilt University. A few years later we both ended up getting Campus Rec positions at FSU and the long-distance challenges were done. She now oversees the Aquatics program and I oversee the Challenge Course here in Tallahassee, so I guess it finally came full circle.
We got engaged last year at Horseshoe Bend in Arizona and just bought a house together. There have been so many adventures, hikes, road trips, and craziness that we have had together, but we still remember the fun we had at VSU. Whether it was scaring people on the Haunted Trail, slacklining front lawn, or early morning Zacadoo pit stops, VSU has such a special place in our hearts.
Karley Hamm & Gary Magee, Jr.
Karley and I met our freshman year at VSU in English 1101, and have been inseparable ever since. I often joke that she could have let me play the field until English 1102, but honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way! I was struck by Karley’s beautiful freckles, her goofy personality, and her ability to always make me laugh. Our dates started as study sessions at the Odum library, and then quickly evolved to late-night runs to the Baytree Waffle House, and attending Karley’s Chi O functions. Karley and I graduated from VSU in 2019-20, and after more than six years of dating Karley and I will get married this April and I can’t wait!
Kim & Wil Morgan
My husband and I met while both attending VSU in the fall of 1999. He was living in Reade Hall and I was across the way in Georgia Hall. We met at the outdoor swimming pool behind the mailboxes and The Grille. He took down my four-digit dorm room phone number with his Swiss army knife that had a pen tip attached to it, and it was love at first sight, haha! We have been together ever since and were married in 2004 with our closest VSU friends in attendance. We have always had a love for the outdoors and the beach and made many trips in college camping and going to the beach with friends.
We have so many amazing memories of our time at VSU from attending games, homecoming, walking to class, and studying in the library, but one, in particular, was when we were both at the laundromat in Langdale Hall hanging out. Once the laundry was dried and folded we walked back to our dorms with our baskets and heard a high pitch sound. All of the sudden, the sprinklers came on and drenched us and our freshly cleaned laundry. We were soaked, but we were there together under the gorgeous oak trees and moonlight in front of Palms Dining Hall, laughing hysterically.
We now reside in Denver, Colorado where Wil works for the National Parks Service and I am a professional portrait photographer. We have a twelve-year-old son that loves the outdoors and camping and has quite a collection of Blazer Nation shirts. Our dog Scout keeps up with our adventures and of course, wears her red collar like a true Blazer herself.
Ashley & Tyler Aurandt
Tyler Aurandt and I met in 2007. I was a Red Hot and Tyler was working as a graduate assistant with the football program. The VSU football program won a National Championship in 2007 and the Red Hots won our first National Championship in 2008 so it was a great year! We officially started dating in 2009 and married in 2013. We welcomed a baby girl, Haylen, in 2015. And we welcomed a baby boy, Jax, in 2021. Tyler is now a head football coach at North Oconee high school in Oconee County and I work for a non-profit organization called Path United. We are so thankful for our time at Valdosta State University!
Ashley & Leland Thompson
Unbelievably my wife and I ran in similar social circles at VSU. We were both Greek and likely had crossed paths without ever knowing each other. In 2014 we both signed on for a study abroad trip to Spain under Dr. Russell. We met on that trip and the friendship inevitably lead its way back to campus where we started dating throughout Ashley’s senior. Almost eight years later we’re married with two babies and still going Blazer strong!
Moneth & Michael McCrory
In early June of 2004, I was getting a lift in at the new gymnasium on campus when this attractive weight room attendant caught my eye. As I put on the 10lb weights on the bench press machine, I caught her looking at me. I didn’t think too much of it, but later that evening I went to Wal-Mart to get some protein snack bars before my second workout. I ended up seeing the same girl and asked if she was single and for her number. I waited the customary two days before calling and our first date took place on June 12, 2004. The date did not go as I had planned. We went to dinner and saw a Harry Potter movie (the only thing that was playing). I had made a dessert from a family recipe hoping she would come back to my house after the movie.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t feeling it and left me at 9:00 p.m. with only a hug goodbye and the possibility of seeing her again. To my luck, two nights later she came over and watched a movie at my place. Things did steadily progress and sixteen years later we are married and have two daughters. We have traveled the world together and currently live in Germany and we are still in love.
Kelcie & Michael Greaves
Michael and I started dating in October 2009, I was a sophomore and he was a junior. We had some mutual friends and had seen each other on campus from time to time. One time over the summer, I was playing tennis with my roommate at the VSU tennis courts and he was there playing tennis with his brother. My roommate and I kept hitting our ball over to their court on purpose so that he would throw the ball back to us.
We continued to date throughout our time at VSU. Michael graduated in May of 2011 and he proposed to me that July. I graduated the following May 2012 and we got married in July 2012. I feel so lucky to have met Michael at VSU. Our hometowns were only about an hour apart, but I would have never met him if it weren’t for us going to the same college.
We’ve been married for almost ten years now and have two sons, Oliver age three, and Emmitt five months. Michael has three siblings who also attended VSU and who all met their spouses while at VSU. We’re all very close friends and spend time together frequently.
Shianne Reed & D’von McCullough
In 2017 my fiancé and I both started as a freshman at VSU. We met on move-in day and have been inseparable since then! He is from Deltona, Florida and I am from Monticello, Georgia. I always think about how crazy it is we grew up six hours apart but this amazing university brought us together! We are now engaged and have two beautiful children together. A two-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son. I will always be thankful to V-State for allowing me to meet my person!
Ana & Emanuel Ricardo
Emanuel and I met in the fall of 2014 right at the start of our freshman year. At the time, we had the same major and shared a class. It didn’t take long for us to start dating and quickly realize we wanted to be with each other forever.
Emanuel graduated in May of 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in International Business and started his first job that summer. We had a cruise planned in July and little did I know that was when he would ask me to spend forever with him.
I still had one more semester of school left, so we spent my last semester traveling back and forth on the weekends to see one another. It was a hard semester apart, but I focused on graduation and wedding planning.
Then, in August of 2019, we got married in the presence of all of our family and friends. It was the perfect day. We bought our first house in 2020 and since moving to Marietta, Georgia, we have grown our family by two dogs and just welcomed our daughter into the world in December of 2021.
We didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into when we started dating back in 2014, but look where we are now. We have Valdosta State University to thank for crossing our paths and starting our lives together.
Thank you VSU!
Ashley Curtis & Markel Davis
My name is Ashley Curtis. I met Markel Davis during our sophomore year in West Hall in 2008. I majored in Education and his major was Sports Medicine but later switched to English. We had an English class together. He was very studious and sat in the front of the class and I sat towards the back. We became cordial. Markel says he thought I was an attractive girl but would have never approached me on “that level” because I was popular and out of his league (so he thought) But as weeks progressed in our class, I later moved to the front of the class by him. At this time, I was in a relationship so we were honestly just strictly classmates.
The year after, we found ourselves in a psychology class together. One day I skipped class and later found out I missed a quiz. I reached out to Markel on Facebook and he helped me complete the quiz. After the semester ended, during the holiday break in December I was back home in Atlanta (where we both are from) Markel randomly texted me to see what I made in the class we had together; ironically, I had just ended my relationship with the guy I was previously dating and let’s just say Markel and I talked every day after that! The rest is history.
In talking to each other after the fact we both expressed to one another that neither one of us had any initial interest in attending VSU but aren’t we glad we did! Now we are engaged and planning our wedding!
To this day Markel “claims “he only texted to me to see what my grade was in the class; nothing more nothing less. I don’t believe that at all!
Mary Ellen & Billy Brown
am sending this email on behalf of my parents, Bill and Mary Ellen Brown. My dad attended VSU after serving two tours in Vietnam. He was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and met my mom on a blind date in January 1972. He said when he picked her up from Georgia Hall, she was wearing hot pants! My dad graduated from VSU with a degree in finance that Spring and my mom graduated with her MRS. They were married in September of 1972. This year will be their 50th wedding anniversary. I will also graduate with my degree in Organizational Leadership from VSU this Spring, which will be almost fifty years from the day that my dad graduated. My mom and dad love Valdosta State and have always been proud to be associated with the school. Sadly, my dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 GI cancer in June and has not done well with the chemotherapy. When I saw the post requesting submissions from couples that met at Valdosta State, I wanted to send this in tribute to my wonderful parents.
Lonnie & Steve Gibson
It all started on September 21, 1987, at 200 Georgia Avenue, where the Pi Kappa Phi house once stood. It’s the first week of the men’s fall rush at VSC, and I was helping welcome new prospective pledges to the house during a rush event. There were a ton of people around the house, and this group of young ladies from Zeta Tau Alpha arrived on the front lawn to join the festivities. And – no kidding – it was almost as if the crowd parted. I spotted a cute blonde and right then and there knew I HAD to meet her – and I did, chasing off a couple of fraternity brothers in the process.
I made sure to walk Lonnie back to Hopper Hall that night and somehow managed to coax my first kiss from her in the process. I escorted her to the house for the rest of the events that week, each night walking her back to Hopper. Our first official date was on Friday, September 25, 1987, at the rush formal, and I’m happy to say we are still together today! We both loved our time at VSC, with our remaining three years on campus filled with fraternity, sorority, and Air Force ROTC events. We graduated together on June 12, 1990, and got married just four days later – we’ll celebrate thirty-two years strong this coming June!
My Air Force career took us away from Valdosta, and Lonnie followed me where the Air Force sent us – California, Wyoming, Colorado, Alabama, Nebraska, Texas, then finally back to Omaha, Nebraska, our adopted home since 2010. Lonnie and I have shared a great adventure, with many friends made across the U.S., and we were blessed with three children along the way. And our story started during a fall fraternity party at VSC!
Christie & Brian Johnson
We met at an SAE gathering in September 1993 and hit it off instantly! We enjoyed a shared interest in VSU football, often traveling to championship games. Brian is a ‘96 graduate from the college of business and I am a ‘97 graduate from the college of education. In 2008, we welcomed a daughter, Hayden. Throughout our lives, we have participated in events for cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that Brian was born with. In 2010, we founded CF Riders, a nonprofit to raise awareness of CF and to raise funds for families who were struggling financially due to the medical costs associated with CF.
Savannah & Ryan Ennis
My Blazer love story began my second year at VSU! I first met Ryan at the Wesley Foundation through some mutual friends. Shortly after meeting, we ran into each other in Bailey Science Center in line to take our first biology exam. We became study partners and lawn hangout friends. Our first date was to Wendy’s for frosty’s and we have been inseparable ever since! He was my biggest supporter on the Blazer sidelines and I was his biggest cheerleader. We have been married for almost three years now and couldn’t be happier! We are so thankful for VSU helping us find each other!!🔥❤️
